KOLKATA: Nine persons have been arrested from different parts of Kolkata and its suburbs over the past one week for their alleged involvement in a racket in which rotten carcass of animals were supplied to different restaurants in the heart of Kolkata.
Also, over 20 tonnes of rotten meat were recovered from a cold storage in Raja Bazaar area of Kolkata on Thursday. The accused were nabbed from Raja Bazaar, Tangra, Titagarh, Jagaddal, Kankinara and Kalyani. Two guards of the cold storage are also among the persons arrested.
Diamond Harbour Superintendent of Police Koteswara Rao said the kingpin of the racket Sunny Malik was arrested from Nawada district of Bihar. The accused were produced in ACJM court which ordered police custody of the accused till April 30.
The issue first came to light when local residents vandalised a car which was carrying rotten meat in Budge Budge in the southern suburbs of the city on April 19. Two persons Raja Mallik and Milsel Shyamlal were arrested the same day.
Since then, investigation has indicated at the involvement of staffers of the Kolkata Muncipal Corporation in the racket who are yet to be nabbed.
The supply of rotten meat to the restaurants has spread panic among the foodies and the office-goers who have to consume food in the restaurants.
“This is unprecedented in Kolkata. Many of us have to eat in the restaurants near the major railway stations such as Howrah and Sealdah and it was reported that the meat were supplied also to the restaurants near Sealdah. This is a very worrisome development and shows how low humans can stoop to make quick money,” Rajat Dey, a private sector employee said.